High speed rotary means for linearly feeding a continuous multifilament strand



May 3, 1960 R. H. BRAUTIGAM ETAI- 2,935,179

HIGH SPEED ROTARY MEANS FOR LINEARLY FEEDING A CONTINUOUS MULTIFILAMENT STRAND 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 2, 1955 INVENTORF Richard/i 15/40/190? 3y Ceci/ R. ('Uflfl/flgfmm y 1960 R. H. BRAUTIGAM ET AL 2,935,179

HIGH SPEED ROTARY MEANS FOR LINEARLY FEEDING A CONTINUOUS MULTIFILAMENT STRAND Filed Sept. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m; Fm.

INVENTOR? [QM/90m H Brauflgam ORNE Y6 more SPEED ROTARY MEANS FGR LINEARLY gEEDlNG A CONTINUOUS MULTIFILAMENT TRAND Richard H. Brautigam and Cecil R. Cunningham, Anderson, 8.6., assignors to Owens-Corning Filsergias Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application September 2, 1955, Serial No. 532,274

2 Claims. (Cl. 2033Sl9) This invention relates to a high speed rotary means for linearly feeding a continuous multifilament strand and it will be particularly illustrated as the method and means are utilized for attenuating and linearly feeding a multifilament glass fiber strand.

Continuous multifilament glass fiber strands are formed in commercial practice by flowing a plurality of streams of glass from a supply of molten glass through minute orifices and then mechanically grasping the fibers which form as the streams cool and pulling them at high speed. Commercial operations usually employ rotary spool type packages on which the strands are wound. Winding the strand on the exterior of a spool is disadvantageous because the strand must be unwound before it can be utilized and because the tension which accumulates on the package frequently causes snags or snarls in the strand as it is unwound.

Numerous suggestions have been made for feeding the strands between the co-acting peripheries of high speed rotary pulling wheels so that the strand is tightly gripped between the surfaces of the wheels and linearly fed by the wheels. These co-acting pulling wheels usually have resilient or deformable surfaces so that they can be squeezed tightly together around the strand being fed. This limits the speeds with which such wheels can be rotated because resilient materials cannot withstand extremely high centrifugal forces and, unless the size of the wheels is so large as to be cumbersome, maximum linear speeds in the order of 14,000 to 15,000 feet per minute cannot be exceeded without damage to the wheels themselves.

It is the object of this invention to provide a high speed rotary instrumentality, in this case also a wheel, for the high speed linear projection and feeding of a strand where the single wheel only is utilized and thus it can be fabricated from materials such as high strength steel which can withstand the extreme centrifugal forces to which the material is subjected.

It is another object of this invention to provide a high speed rotary wheel having a cylindrical periphery which will attenuate and feed a multifilament continuous strand by being engaged therewith over a portion of the periphery of the wheel.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a means for disengaging the continuous multifilament strand from the periphery of the single high speed rotary pulling wheel at a point such that suflicient peripheral contact will exist to apply the necessary attenuating force and without actual physical contact between the strand disengaging or deflecting means and the strand or the pulling wheel itself.

The foregoing and more specific objects will be better understood from reference to the specification which follows and from the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary somewhat diagrammatic view in elevation of apparatus embodying the invention as employed for the attenuation and feeding of a multifilament continuous glass fiber strand.

hired States fiatent C "the Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View in elevation taken from the right side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary view in elevation showing portions of the pulling wheel and the strand being fed thereby as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a modification of the means for effecting disengagement of the strand from the surface of the pulling wheel.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs. 3 and 4 but showing yet another disengagement efiecting means.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 3-5 and showing yet another strand disengaging means.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modified manner for applying the strand to the surface of the pulling wheel and illustrating a further modification of means for causing departure of the strand from the pulling wheel surface.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in elevation, with parts broken away of the disengagement effecting means shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary end view with parts broken away of the means illustrated in Fig. 8.

Throughout the specification which follows and in the drawings, high speed rotary means embodying the invention are illustrated and described as utilized for the attenuation and/or feeding of a multifilament glass fiber strand. While some attempt has been made to illustrate the actual configuration assumed by the strand at certain places adjacent the apparatus, these configurations are in no sense intended to be accurate or limiting but are merely illustrative of the paths through which the strand moves upon engagement with and disengagement from apparatus embodying the invention.

A conventional, continuous multifilament glass fiber strand, frequently called a textile strand, is formed from 200 or more individual fibers 1t), each of which is longitudinally attenuated from an individual stream of glass flowing from an orifice (not shown) in the lower wall of a bushing 11 which constitutes a source of molten glass. The individual fibers 10 are guided together and grouped to form a strand 12 by a gathering shoe 13. The gathering shoe 13 of Fig. 1 is illustrated as being merely a simple trough, lined with an absorbent material, for example, felt, into which there is dripped a small quantity of a liquid flowing through a valve controlled pipe 14 to a supply tank 15. A The liquid which 15 dripped onto the gathering shoe 13 may be a lubricant, a size, a coating, or other substance intended to be combined with the glass fibers in subsequent operation, or merely to lubricate the individual fibers 16 one from each other. It may also serve, as will be described below, in connection with the attenuating process of the invention for effecting traction between the strand 12 and a high speed rotary pulling wheel generally indicated at 16.

The high speed rotary pulling wheel 16 is mounted upon a generally horizontal drive shaft 17 and rotated at high speed to produce a peripheral speed in the order of 15,000 feet per minute or more. The strand 12 is guided tangentially into engagement with the periphery of the wheel 16 by means of a guide shoe 18 preferably formed from a self-lubricating material such as graphite.

The pulling wheel 16 has an uninterrupted smooth periphery. It must be formed from a material havinghigh tensile strength and preferably'a material which can be polished to have a very smooth surface. While all of the forces employed in attenuating the strand on a single wheel according to the invention are not understood, apparently properties of the liqm'd on the wheel such as surface tension, viscosity, lubricity and cohesion cause the strand to adhere to the wheel. In addition, there is apparently present, at least to some extent, a force generally known as the belt efiect, tending to squeeze the strand radially inwardly against the periphery of the wheel as the strand wraps around the wheel. r

In any event, by thus guiding the strand 12 into generally tangential contact with the surface of the wheel 16 and carrying the:strand around the periphery of the wheel 16 for a considerable distance, say somewhere in the order of 120 to 300 or thereabouts, sufiicient tractive force is applied to the strand 12 to attenuate its 200 or more individual filaments and to pull them over the gathering shoe 13.

Having thus engaged the strand with the periphery of the pulling wheel 16 it becomes necessary and difiicult to effectuate disengagement of the strand therefrom. The

r tractive force, whether considered to be surface tension or, belt eifect or other, tends to hold the strand against the periphery of the wheel and, unless in, some way in terrupted, the strand will continue to wrap on the surface of the Wheel piling p in a lap up or 110e,.

According to the invention, means for efiecting dis-, engagement of the strand 12 from the surface of the pulling Wheel 16 are interposed adjacent to, but not in contact with, the periphery of the pulling wheel'16 for interrupting or deflecting at least a part of the film of air which rotates with the strand and the pulling wheel 16.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a thin blade 19 is illustrated as the means for effecting separation or disengagement. The blade 19 of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is placed adjacent the periphery of the wheel 16 with its relatively thin edge directed toward the oncoming strand 12. Apparently the presence of the blade 19 causes an aerodynamic burble or deflection which enters in between the strand 12 and the surface of the wheel 16, peeling the strand 12, as it were, off the wheel 16; An attempt has been made in Fig. 3 to illustrate how the presence of the blade 19 effectuates disengagement of the strand from the pulling wheel 16 at a point well ahead of the leading edge of the blade 19 so that the strand 12 departs from the pulling wheel 16 and flows beyond and around the blade 19 along a substantially linear path out of contact with the blade 19.

In Fig. 4 a more abrupt and angular departure of the strand 12 from the surface of the pulling wheel 16 is shown as being caused by a more blunt obstructer 20. The obstructer 20 is shown as being tilted in a manner such that the strand 12 abruptly departs from the periphery of the wheel 16 traveling alonga path far removed from the tangential path at its point of departure.

In Fig. a further modification of strand disengagemerit effecting means is illustrated as an'air foil 21. In this case it is believed that an area of high pressure builds up at the leading edge of the air foil 21 and an area of lower pressure is created over the back surface of the air foil. The first high pressure area effects disengagement of the strand 12 from the wheel 16 and the second, or low pressure area, bends the strand back to a path generally parallel to a tangent to the pulling wheel 16 at the point of'departure of the strand therefrom.

In Fig. 6 an interrupter 22 is illustrated which has a quarter cylindrical surface 23 so set that it approximates the shape of the leading edge of the air foil 21 in Fig. 5. In vthis instance the strand is disengaged from the surface of the pulling wheel-16, apparently by aerodynamic effect, and deflected away from the'surface of the pulling wheel 16by the flow of air around the interrupter surface 23.

, In Figs. 7, 8 and 9 a difierent type of strand disengagement effecting means is illustrated. In Fig. 7, also, an

auxiliary idler wheel 24 is shown as employed for leading a multifilament strand 25 into tangential surface engagement with a high speed. rotary pulling wheel 26. Under proper conditions of presence'of moisture, either on'the strand 25 or the surface of the pulling wheel 26, and upon the finishing of the surface of the pulling wheel 26 to a sufficient degree of polish, it will be seen that the strand 25 can be attenuated and fed by as little as or less contact with the pulling wheel 26. In this case, the strand departure is effected by a thin jet of emanating from a thin nozzle 27 positioned adjacent the periphery of the wheel 26 with its jet of air directed upwardly contrary to the direction of movement of the surface of the pulling wheel 26 and the strand 25. The

nozzle 27 (see Figs. 8 and 9) has a narrow, slot-like orifice 28 so that the jet of air serving to cause separation of the strand 25 from the wheel 26 is thin and can be aimed upwardly, almost tangentially, against the oncoming strand 25. As in the case of the earlier mechanical strand disengagement elfecting means of Figs. 1+6, the air jet from the nozzle .27 separates the strand 25 rorn the wheel 26, apparently by interrupting the smooth flow of air with the wheel and the strand.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for linearly feeding a continuous, multifilament, untwisted strand, said apparatus consisting of a single rotary pulling wheel having a continuous, uninterrupted circular periphery, means for mounting and rotating said wheel on an axis perpendicular to the path of movement of said strand from its source and to the path of movement of said strand to its delivery point, said paths of movement being parallel to each other and lying in axially spaced planes which are normal to the axis of said wheel, the first of said planes being axially spaced from said wheel and the second of said planes intersecting said wheel, a guide positioned adjacent the periphery of said wheel and having a strand path therein leading from a point in said first path and in the first of said planes to, the second of said planes for guiding said strand 7 along said second path.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the axis of said wheel is horizontal and saidpaths of movement are vertical. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 710,205 McDonald Sept. 30,1902 1,170,003 Schroder et al. Feb. 1, 1916 1,175,602 f Chidley Mar. 14, 1916 2,447,131 McDermott Aug. 17, 1948 2,460,899 Modigliani et al. Feb. 8, 1949 2,578,986 Schoonenberg et al Dec. 18, 1951 2,584,517 Verreet -1. Feb. 5, 1952 2,621,444 Schuller Dec. 16, 1952 2,685,763 Courtney et al Aug. 10, 1954 2,729,028 Slayter et al. Jan. 3, 1956 2,729,030 Slayter Jan.-[3, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 521,839 Belgium Aug. 14, 1953 692,698 Great Britain June 10, 1953' 

1. APPARATUS FOR LINEARLY FEEDING A CONTINUOUS, MULTIFILAMENT, UNTWISTED STRAND, SAID APPARATUS CONSISTING OF A SINGLE ROTARY PULLING WHEEL HAVING A CONTINUOUS, UNINTERRUPTED CIRCULAR PERIPHERY, MEANS FOR MOUNTING AND ROTATING SAID WHEEL ON AN AXIS PERPENDICULAR TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID STRAND FROM ITS SOURCE AND TO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID STRAND TO ITS DELIVERY POINT, SAID PATH OF MOVEMENT BEING PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND LYING IN AXIALLY SPACED PLANES WHICH ARE NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID WHEEL, THE FIRST OF SAID PLANES BEING AXILLAY SPACED FROM SAID WHEEL AND THE SECOND OF SAID PLANES INTERSECTING SAID WHEEL, A GUIDE POSITIONED ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID WHEEL AND HAVING A STRAND PATH THEREIN LEADING FROM A POINT IN SAID FIRST PATH AND IN THE FIRST OF SAID PLANES TO THE SECOND OF SAID PLANES FOR GUIDING SAID STRAND FROM SAID FIRST PLANE ONTO AND INTO CONTACT WITH THE PRE- 